


A New Family

by maia_beans



Category: Avatar (2009)
Genre: Eventual Smut, Everyone Is Alive, F/F, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, like so fluffy, no one dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:21:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26092534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maia_beans/pseuds/maia_beans
Summary: Nataniel dos Bosques has been in love with Pandora since he first heard about it as a child. Now, he's actually climbed his way into the Avatar Program and finally has a chance to explore the planet of his dreams.Follow Nat in his journey of discovery, love and passion in this Fix-It, rewrite fic of the Avatar (2009).
Relationships: Grace Augustine/Trudy Chacon, Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at’ite/Jake Sully, Tsu'tey te Rongloa Ateyitan/Original Character(s), Tsu'tey te Rongloa Ateyitan/Original Male Character
Comments: 17
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Insula_Girnd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insula_Girnd/gifts).



> Hey everyone! So this is my first ever fanfic, so be kind (❁´ω`❁)!!  
> Anyway, it’s a ritual of mine to watch Avatar (2009) at least 5 times a year and my favorite character is Tsu’tey. I really feel like he deserved better?? Not to mention I kinda ship Grace and Trudy and wanted them to survive and have a happy ending as well.  
> So this is a rewrite, fix-it fic where everyone lives, everyone loves and the stupid colonizers are thrown off Pandora!!  
> Hope y’all enjoy!  
> BTW, some dialogue will not be word for word.

It still didn’t feel real. For years, Nataniel had trained, dreamed and fought for this moment. He had imagined it for so long that it had almost become a distant and unattainable dream. But now he was so close. Pandora was a meager 2000 km from the cryoship Nataniel’s crew had been dispatched on. Though it seemed like a lot, it was nothing compared to the 4.37 light-years separating this wondrous new planet from Earth. 

Nataniel looked around him, watching as the 127 passengers aboard were slowly taken out of cryostasis after their 6 year slumber. He wondered if they had fantasized about this chapter in their lives as much as he had. 

Since Nat was a small child, he had an almost unhealthy fixation with this newly found alien moon called  _ Pandora _ . He would collect every single bit of information that he found in a notebook, and then as he got older, in a hard drive, that he carried with him almost everywhere.  He couldn’t even remember the amount of times he had read Grace Augustine’s  _ Pandoran Botany _ or Phred Palmer’s  _ The Na’vi _ . From the moment he learned that there was a chance to visit Pandora for himself, Nat knew that that was where his destiny lied.

So he worked hard, studied hard and excelled at every obstacle that was thrown in his path until eventually, he was accepted into the Avatar Program and scheduled to arrive in Pandora in 2154.

Now here he was, regaining his strength after years spent in an unmoving, semi-conscious state; awaiting the landing of his ship, and completely unaware of the staggering events he would put into motion.

-

Tsu’tey had always most identified himself with  _ pa’li _ , so it was no surprise that for his Dream Hunt, the  _ Uniltaron _ , he saw the steady six legged being galloping through his vision and into his heart. 

Like the  _ pa’li,  _ Tsu’tey was level headed, strong and easily underestimated; not by his clan, the  _ Omaticaya _ , but by the demons that had decided to invade their land and desecrate the work of  _ Eywa _ . Tsu’tey hated these Sky People. He was certain they were nothing more than a plague to his world. The death of his dear Sylwanin at their hands had cemented this thought in his head.

Sylwanin… his mate-to-be, his other half, brutally murdered by the Sky People’s metal weapons and blood thirsty ways. He could never forgive them for this act alone. 

Tsu’tey was now betrothed to Neytiri, Sylwanin’s younger sister, but it was not the same. Still, like the  _ pa’li _ , Tsu’tey knew that he had responsibilities to the  _ Omaticaya _ , to his people, and he would place those above anything else. 

Now, the brave warrior was preparing to become  _ Olo'eyktan  _ and follow in Eytukan’s steps. Part of this role was to train the future warriors of his clan, make sure they were ready to face both their  _ Uniltaron  _ and  _ Iknimaya _ and become true members of the  _ Omaticaya _ .

Between trying to keep the Sky People at bay, performing his duties as lead clan hunter and training, he had very little time to think about anything else. But in the rare moments that he was alone and able to explore his thoughts, Tsu’tey would reflect upon his future. Nevermind the constant and unpredictable danger the Spy People posed, there was something else nagging at Tsu’tey’s head: he did not love Neytiri, not like he had Sylwany. And he never would, of this he was sure. 

His and Neytiri’s situation was very uncommon indeed. By tradition, the Olo'eyktan's heir would choose their mate after officially becoming one of the people. Sylwanin had chosen him, and he her. They seemed to be meant for one another, until Eywa decided to take her away. The role of leader had already been promised to Tsu’tey, and that promise could not be taken back. So he was forced to settle with Neytiri.

Now it all felt wrong. Odd. Unnatural. Neytiri was a fine warrior, woman and daughter; someone anyone would be extremely lucky to have as a partner. But Tsu’tey felt she was not for him. 

Perhaps his ability to love had been killed off with Sylwanin, but that thought made him truly upset. What was there to look forward to if you were a loveless Na’vi? If the person who would forever be by your side did not completely fill the void inside your heart?

These thoughts plagued Tsu’tey, but in the end, he knew there was nothing he could do about it. His fate was already laid out for him, and it was his duty to follow it without question, even if it meant that true happiness could never be achieved. It was a small price to pay for the clan’s stability. And he would pay it gladly.


	2. Chapter 2

Nataniel still hadn’t even gazed at Pandora since he had woken up. There had been no windows in the cryoship nor in the plane that was taking him and his crew to Hell’s Gate. As a result, his first meeting with the object of his longtime fantasy world was still a ways away.

Instead of being slowly introduced to the planet, he was quickly and loudly briefed by the instructor, a harsh-looking army type, warning him of the dangers of this new world and advising everyone to put on their breathing mask as well as to head straight inside the base. As soon as he had finished talking, the cargo hold door opened up, pushing a heavy gust of Pandoran air into Nat’s face. Everyone got up extremely fast, eager to leave and explore. Nataniel, however, was stuck in his place for a moment, truly digesting the fact that he was someplace other than Earth, and most of all, that he was on Pandora! 

Along with him, someone else had yet to leave the jet. It was a light-skinned man sporting a buzzcut and, surprisingly, a wheelchair. This seemed an unlikely choice of personnel to Nataniel. He had always been drilled throughout his journey to become an avatar that only the fittest of people were allowed on Pandora seeing as it was considered one of the harshest environments known to man.

_ Well,  _ he thought,  _ this must mean he’s special somehow. _

“Go! Go! Go! Get out of here! Go directly inside! Do not start slacking off now!” shouted the instructor, aiming his words directly at Nataniel and the other man. 

This prompted the both of them to start moving forward and out of the carrier plane. But as soon as they stepped out, they had to stop. The sky was grey and a semi-thick fog settled over Hell’s Gate, but the beauty of this new world was still everpresent. The gigantic trees peeking in the distance, the looming presence of Polyphemus in the sky, the dim cries of mysterious creatures hiding in the forest; it all made for an show-stopping experience. Almost ruined by the urbanisation of the human colony and the constant thundering steps of AMPs perusing through the compound. 

“Hello there!” offered Nataniel, eager to make friends with someone who looked to be as in-awe as him when faced with Pandora, “I’m Nataniel dos Bosques, but you can call me Nat! Pleasure to meet you.”

“Hey,” quietly answered the man, “Jake Sully,” he shook the hand Nat was offering.

That gave Nataniel pause, “Jake Sully? I swear I’ve heard that name somewhere…”

Jake looked away and put on a slightly closed off expression, “Yeah, you probably heard of my twin brother, Tom Sully. He… died. I’m here replacing him.”

“Oh my God, I-I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to-” staggered Nat, clearly troubled by the painful memories he had dug up inside of Jake.

Jake let out a small chuckle, “No problem.”  _ At least he didn’t take too much offence to that _ , thought Nat. “How  _ did _ you hear about him, though?” 

“Oh, I uh… His name must have been in the personnel list they handed out to everyone,” Nat had tried to memorise everyone’s names since they were going to spend so much time together now, “As I recall, wasn’t Tom in the avatar program?”

“He sure was,” affirmed Jake.

Pausing for a moment, Nat realised, “Wait, if you’re replacing him, then that means…”

“Yup.”

-

“You’re not in Kansas anymore.” said colonel Quaritch, “You are on Pandora, ladies and gentlemen. Respect that fact.” 

As Quaritch droned on about how scared they all should be, Nataniel couldn’t help but to look out the windows facing the forest, wondering how it would feel to walk inside it in his avatar body. Would everything feel different, more heightened? Na’vi were physically superior to humans in a number of ways, and sight, smell and hearing were some of them. Would his brain experience unimaginable things? What about the intimate connection known as  _ tsaheylu _ ? The most fascinating fact about the Na’vi, in Nat’s opinion. The ability to physically connect with the beings around you was such an amazing concept that he sometimes had a hard time believing it existed. He hoped that one day he would get to experience it for himself.

“Is there something more important you have to think about, boy?” interrupted Quaritch, placing himself directly in front of Nat’s line of sight and making every head in the room turn towards them. He looked quite unnerved. “You think this is some sort of merry little land where you can stroll about without a care in the world? Pandora destroys people like you in seconds without mercy.” He turned around and stalked back to the front of the crowd, “ You better keep that in mind next time you decide to ignore your superior’s words.” 

“S-sorry, sir.” an embarrassed blush rose to Nat’s cheeks and he looked down. He hated confrontations as much as power hungry marines, so this left him feeling deeply uncomfortable.

As Quarritch continued his “welcoming” speech, everyone went back to listening. All except Jake, who looked at Nat with some form of amusement in his eyes.

After the briefing had ended, it was time for everyone to settle into their designated areas. Nataniel and Jake were on their way to the science facility when someone stopped them.

“Excuse me! Jake! Jake, you’re Jake, right? Tom’s brother? Wow… You look just like him. And Nataniel? I’ve heard great things about your academic career!” Both Jake and Nat were left looking at him, waiting for him to introduce himself, “I’m Norm. Norm Spellman!” he offered them his hand in greeting, “Went through avatar training with him. Let me get you to the biolab.”

Following a number of twists and turns, they finally arrived at the biolab. It was bustling with activity, white coated scientists and investigators going from one end of the room to the other. As Norm was trying to give them a tour of the place, something glowing caught the sight of both Jake ‘s and Nat’s eye. 

Floating and twitching inside long, liquid-filled tubes were their avatars, looking as peaceful as can be. It was Nat’s first time seeing a na’vi in real life and, once again, he could not help but to be astonished. He had read about their incredible physical height, about their long tails, their bright blue striped skin, but seeing it in real life was something entirely different. 

Nat instantly recognised which avatar was his and slowly walked towards it. It was strange seeing your face, or something very similar to your face, on such an alien vessel; an incredibly surreal experience. He had the same wide nose, plump lips and defined jaw as Nat’s human face. His skin was also a slightly darker navy blue than Norm or Jake’s avatars. Nat had so many raging emotions within him: awe, curiosity, delight. But most of all, he felt excited as he heard Norm explain that tomorrow, they would be able to link with their avatars and take them outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine that Jake and Nat are gonna have a really wholesome brotherly relationship in this fic ^^  
> I've also made some art to go with this fic, so look forward to that!


	3. Chapter 3

Right after breakfast, Norm took them to the link room, promising them a meeting with the famous Grace Augustine. Nat was beyond excited, he was  _ ecstatic _ . Grace was one of the people he most looked up to, someone who he wanted to become. She had led a massive expedition in Pandora, enabling her to study and document a significant amount of the fauna and flora contained in the forest. It was because of her that the _tsaheylu_ connection was beginning to be understood. 

“Grace Augustine is a legend. She’s the head of the Avatar Program,” gushed Norm. “She wrote the book- I mean,  _ literally  _ wrote the book on Pandoran botany.”

Nat knew all of this. Hell, he had some parts of that book memorized. As he, Jake, Norm and Dr. Max Patel walked, Nataniel saw her. 

“That’s because she likes plants more than people,” was the only warning they got from Patel before he finally introduced them. Grace wasn’t even looking at them. Instead, she was turned to the side, examining a data tablet with another member of personnel and smoking a cigarette.

“Grace!” Dr. Patel continued, pointing to them, “I’d like you to meet Norm Spellman, Nataniel dos Bosques and Jake Sully.”

She eyed them, taking a drag of her cigarette and slowly blowing it out while taking her glasses off, “Norm. I hear good things about you. How’s your Na’vi?” Nat had to admit to himself that he was somewhat jealous that Grace had taken interest in Norm first.

“ **May the All Mother smile upon our first meeting,** ” Norm answered. 

_ His accent is definitely present, but the grammar is spot on _ , noticed Nat.

**“Not bad. You sound a bit formal,** ” she said. 

A nervous smile came upon Norm’s face, and he stuttered a little bit, “ **I-I’ve been learning Na’vi for five years, but there is much yet to lea-.** ” 

“ **Yes! Although I’m sure you’ll teach us everything there is to know,** Dr. Grace,” interrupted Nat. He was feeling left out and ignored.

Jake, completely lost, looked around in boredom. 

Noticing this, Dr. Patel diverted the conversation, “Uh, Grace, this is Jake Sully.”

Back to attention, Jake looked Grace in the eyes, offering a respectful hand, “Ma’am.”

Suddenly, Grace’s demeanor changed. An irritated look came upon her face, “Yeah, yeah, I know who you are and I don’t need you.” 

Jake brought his hand down, upper body sagging onto his wheelchair.

“I need your brother. You know, the PhD who trained for three years for this mission?”

Nataniel was shocked. Just moments ago, Grace was complimenting Norm on his Na’vi, and now she was almost scolding a twin for his brother’s death? How insensitive could she be? Was what Dr. Patel had said, that she only cared for plants, true?

“He’s dead. I know it’s a big inconvenience for everyone,” deadpanned Jake, the last part of his sentence dripping sarcasm.

“How much lab training have you had?” countered Grace, seemingly not affected.

With a completely serious face, Jake answered, “I dissected a frog once.”

Nat threw out a sudden, shrieked laugh. The absurdity of the situation just made something snap inside him. Quickly realizing his mistake after a death glare from Grace and several questioning looks from everyone else, he promptly shut his mouth. 

“See? You see? I mean, they’re just pissing on us without even the courtesy of calling it rain.” 

Grace turned, walking out of the room, a worried Patel calling out to her. 

-

Nat opened his eyes. He quickly closed them, too much light flooding his sensitive pupils. After a couple of seconds of blinking and adjusting, noises started to become apparent. Two scientists in breathing masks and sterilized gear greeted him, asking him if he was alright and testing his reflexes. At first, Nat was confused, but as seconds trickled by, everything came back to him. And he noticed. He noticed how colors were that much brighter, how sounds were that much louder, how he could tell precisely where they were coming from. Nat realized, sitting up and bringing his hands up to his face;  _ I’m in my avatar _ .

Nat smiled, showing off his sharp, long fangs. He looked further down to his feet, flexing them, feeling his muscles contract, testing his strength. 

“Good, fine motor function looks good. Let’s take this nice and easy though,” advised one of the scientists. Nat started following all the protocols for testing out a new avatar; stretching out his arms, monitoring his breathing and a doing multitude of other small exercises meant to assure that his body was correctly synched to his brain via the link.

Norm was also refining his movements right next to Nat, offering small quips to the testing team. Then, Jake woke up. It only took him a minute to disregard everything anyone was saying and leave the room, his bare ass trailing behind him as he stumbled. 

“Jake! Jake, wait!” shouted Nataniel, hoping to at least slow his friend down while he removed his tubing, “S-sorry guys, I’ll go get him.” Nat got up, wobbling a bit, but managing to stand on two feet. He took a moment to appreciate his height, feeling like a veritable giant compared to his human counterparts, then headed straight out the door. 

“You are definitely not supposed to be running, Jake!” said Nat, struggling to keep upright. It was a clear, sunny morning outside, perfect for a test run.  _ Not  _ like this though. 

While he was trying to keep up with Jake, who was sprinting at this point, Nat focused on his senses. He felt the earth beneath his feet, the wind blowing past him, the sounds of the other avatars and AMPs all around him. He took his first real intake of Pandoran air, smelling all the alien, flowery scents. He realized this was the first time he had truly felt comfortable since his first arrival in Pandora. But he quickly brushed that thought aside, continuing to call out to Jake.

Finally, Jake took a breather. Nat was then easily able to catch up, “That was  _ seriously  _ unwise!” exclaimed Nat, bending his knees and breathing hard. 

Looking at him, Jake smirked, “That was the best thing ever.”


	4. Chapter 4

Nat should really start getting used to the feeling of bring amazed by now. He, Jake, Grace and Norm were on Trudy’s SA-2 Samson headed for one of the deeper parts of the forest in order to collect some samples. In reality, they were going there with hopes of having some contact with the  _ Omaticaya _ , the local clan. This time, they wanted the meeting to be on the native’s terms, so they would wait for them to come.

They were flying at low altitude, quite close to the surface of a river since lots of other creatures liked to wander the air around here. But the beauty of their surroundings showed even at the reduced height. Nat peeked out the side opening of the Samson; they were circled by massive waterfalls cascading millions of liters of water downwards. Dozens of tetrapteron flew not far from them, searching for a place to rest their wings and have a drink. One of them looked Nat directly in the eye and screeched. Nat couldn’t help but hoot back loudly while beaming a wide smile. 

As they continued, even more breathtaking environments followed; huge, ancient trees, herds of wild fauna, crystal clear lakes. As far as the eye could see, there was only nature. Certainly a wild contrast to the bleak, dead landscape back on Earth. Nat couldn’t be happier to be here. Jake seemed of the same opinion as he shouted out into the wilds after a particularly stomach churning maneuver from Trudy. 

They landed on a small clearing, the wind from the Samson blowing everything out of the way, from fallen branches to stray hexapede. They got out of the aircraft, Grace instructing Trudy to cut the engines and Trudy responding with a wink.  _ Something’s going on there _ , thought Nat.

Looking away from Trudy, Grace addressed the human soldier coming with them “Stay with the ship. One idiot with a gun is enough.”

Jake smiled, looking down and shaking his head. Nat moved to his side “Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll warm up to you soon,” he finished his sentence by offering Jake a fist-pump, which he happily accepted with a chuckle.

“Thanks,” offered Jake.

They continued, stepping over fallen branches and rocks. Grace moved with a confidence that only someone who had already walked through this forest numerous times could have while Nat, Norm and Jake looked around nervously, ears twitching at every minor sound.

The canopy buzzed with life, everything around them still yet moving at the same time. Small critters lined the bark of the trees, scurrying up as the four avatars approached. A group of prolemuris passed by them, swinging high in the branches. Jake was immediately en garde, raising his gun and pointing at them after placing himself in front of Nat. 

“Prolemuris. They’re not aggressive,” Grace offered, making Jake relax but keep his eyes on them, “Relax, marine. You’re making me nervous”

They approached a simple looking building, seemingly constructed by humans but left to abandon. Some walls were torn down, the roof falling off to the side. Nat noticed what looked to be bullet holes on the unhinged wooden door. 

“You’re sure this is a good way to meet them? How will they even know we’re here?” asked Nat. He supposed that the Na’vi were not too fond of human architecture. 

“They’re probably watching us right now.” Said Grace, glancing to him. Nat wasn’t sure if he found that to be comforting or creepy.

They walked on, eventually entering the building after clearing some debris from the entrance. The roof was filled with holes, letting beams of sunlight penetrate inside. Everything was in disarray; books, chairs and desks all strewn on the floor. 

Grace looked around, a sad look on her face,“This used to be our school. Now it’s just… storage.” she moved to one of the last standing tables and continued, “The kids were so bright. Eager to learn. Picked up english faster than I could teach them,” She rummaged around, picking up a children’s book on vowels and flipping through it quietly before placing it back on a shelf.

Nat observed her. It couldn’t be easy to come back here. She spoke so fondly of her students. And from the looks of it, something nasty had taken place and Grace must have been part of it. “Why haven’t they come back to read them?” Nat asked, pointing at a booklet.

“The  _ Omaticaya…  _ learnt as much about us as they needed to,” she solemnly answered.

She instructed them to pick up some gear, not letting on about what happened, and they ventured outside again, finally ready to take samples.

They found a nice protruding root and decided to set up their materials there. Jake wandered off as the three scientists gushed about the neural-like communications between each tree, measuring synapse speeds and documenting other data points. Grace was just about to stick another measuring needle into an adjacent root when a loud guttural cry reverberated through the trees. Instantly they were all alert, looking at each other and accounting for everyone in their group. Soon they realized Jake was missing.

“Shit,” cursed Grace, “Of course that dumb-ass would go off at a time like this.”

Another cry went off.

Worriedly looking around, Nat offered “Um, I think I saw him heading that way.”

They all got up, quickly running in the direction Nataniel had pointed out. Indeed, there was Jake, tail between his legs, looking up at a hammerhead. It thrashed its head around, stomping his front leg and showing off it’s brightly colored fan.

“Don’t shoot. Do  _ not _ shoot. You’ll piss him off.” warned Grace, carefully hiding behind a tree.

Nat, doing the same, looked at the creature and said “I think it’s already royally pissed off, Grace,” his statement was further proved by the hammerhead colliding with the two trees to his left and right, effectively destroying them.

Jake had his gun aimed right at the creature’s forehead, but Nat could tell he was shitting himself just as much as him. 

“Not helping, Nat,” grunted Grace, throwing a pointed look at Nat's way, “Trust me, Jake. That gun won’t help. His armor’s too thick.”

Jake quickly raised his firearm to the sky, somehow hoping the hammerhead would understand the meaning behind this action. He was breathing hard, sweat pouring down his brow.

It continued its aggressive display, bringing down more trees and stomping down even more. Nat looked around, assessing the situation. He knew this was a territorial threat, but he also knew that any na’vi would have already skillfully moved out of the way and avoided confrontation. This hammerhead knew what a non-threatening na’vi acted like. Jake, however, was not skillfully moving out of the way or avoiding confrontation and, therefore, he was non being perceived as non-threatening. 

Thinking fast, Nat devised a plan. 

“HEY! Over here you wide headed elephant!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. He ran to stand next to Jake but further away from Grace and Norm, giving Jake an opening to run towards them..

Jake looked at him, startled, “What the hell are you doing?!”

Nat was waving his arms around, drawing the attention of the beast, “Go! Go to them! I’ll distract it!”

“Are you crazy?! I’m not gonna let you die!” exclaimed Jake. Just as he finished talking, the hammerhead decided it had had enough and started charging at them, making the ground shake.

Nat looked at it, looked at Jake, and they both started running and screaming at it. Right before the three collided, the creature suddenly stopped, putting on a submissive body language. The boys, relieved, started celebrating. 

“Wooo! That’s right!” said Jake, followed by Nat, “Ah ah! Yes!”

“Yeah, who’s bad? That’s what I’m talking about,” continued Jake, “Bitch!”

While Jake went on about their victory and the hammerhead ran back to its herd, Nat glanced behind them. His wide smirk completely fell from his face, his ears pressed flush to his skull “U-uh, Jake?”

“What?” he answered nonchalantly, turning around. He soon lost all animosity. 

Behind them creeped a Thanator, snarling and showing it’s razor sharp black teeth. It roared a mighty, ferocious sound and jumped above them, landing where the Hammerhead had just been. It growled at the herd, pushing it away right before turning right back to its new prey.

“So what about this one? Run? Don’t run?” asked Jake, voice trembling with fear and adrenaline.

Urgently, Grace replied, “Run! Definitely run!”

-

They were wet, had no equipment and were littered with small cuts.  _ But, _ thought Nat _ , at least we’re alive! After a Thanator attack, no less! _

They were at the base of the waterfall they had just fallen into trying to save themselves. The beast’s cries could still be heard above them, frustrated and hungry. It was an obvious reaction on their part, then, to start laughing.

“Can you believe that just happened?” said Jake, a surprised expression coating his features.

“Not really. Do you?” replied Nat, looking at Jake, eyes wide and mouth slack. “Do you even know what that was? A Thanator. Even highly trained  _ Omaticaya  _ warriors rarely escape one of those! We were so lucky.”

Jake smirked, his fangs gleaming in the sunlight, “You mean I saved your ass.”

“W-what? How did you save my ass? I saved your ass!” exclaimed Nataniel, getting up and following Jake deeper into the forest, “If it wasn’t for me, you would be a little blue splat at the end of that hammerhead’s foot!”

“Sure. And who dragged you by your sleeve to the waterfall so you could jump and not be, you know, eaten?” rebutted Jake, scanning their surroundings and looking for something he could use as a protective weapon seeing as his backpack and gun had been lost in the chase.

Nat rolled his eyes, “Whatever. Right now we need to worry about getting these bodies to safety. If they cease to be functional, that’s millions of dollars down the drain. And a furious Grace clawing at our back.”

“Not the furious Grace,” Jake mocked. Nat could only chuckle.

Then, Nat took on a more serious tone, “I’m not joking though. We could be in real trouble if we die out here.”

“Lucky us, I’m not gonna let that happen,” said Jake. 


	5. Chapter 5

Jake had managed to craft a wooden spear with the knife that he thankfully still had strapped to his boot. The light, adrenaline filled mood had lifted now and the air round them was charged nervously. They stopped speaking a while ago when the night had started to fall, trying to listen to anything that sounded potentially dangerous.

Jake seemed to be looking for something; Nat could only hope for it to be food. He was really starting to get hungry. 

When he found a long, thick leaf, he started wrapping it around his spear.

“What are you doing with that?” he asked quietly.

Jake looked at him, his face taking on an expression that said ‘duh’, “It’s a torch. I’m making a torch. How else are we gonna see what’s around us?”

“Put that down, Jake. As soon as the sun’s down, the forest is gonna light up with the natural bio-luminescent flora. If you make a fire, it’ll only drown us further in the darkness,” explained Nat, gesturing around him, “At least, that’s what Grace wrote in her book.”

Jake seemed to be having a hard time believing him. The forest, lighting up? Even on an alien planet, that seemed ludicrous to him, “You sure about that? I think I’d rather take my chances.” As he said that, he moved to a sap deposit in a nearby tree, dipping his torch in it.

“I’m telling you J-” a hyena-like cackle sounded out behind them interrupting Nat. He turned around lightning-quick, peeling his eyes for the slightest movement. Unfortunately the bio-luminescence still hadn’t kicked in, and both them and whatever was out there were caked in shadow, “D-did you hear that? On second thought, light that damn torch!”

Jake took a match set from his pocket, the only thing that had survived the waterfall along with his knife, and tried to get a flame going. He was also hearing the sounds coming from around them, making his ears twitch in all directions and his movements inaccurate with the stress. 

“Hurry up!” hissed Nataniel, still trying to decipher anything in the dark. His back was to Jake’s making sure their combined field of vision was increased.

Jake finally managed to light the torch and pushed it outwards, illuminating what must have been at least 10 viperwolves circling them.

“Oh shit.”

“No shit, oh shit,” agreed Nat, true fear starting to engulf him. They had managed to flee the Thanator - even if they almost didn't in the end - but they had only had to run in one direction then. Now, every single escape route was blocked by the smaller predators.

Him and Jake were orbiting around one another, trying to keep the creatures at bay, but they kept getting closer and closer, snapping their jaws and hissing loudly. 

“I don’t have all goddamned night! Come on!” urges Jake, showing his teeth just like the viperwolves were, “We’ve gotta fight them, Nat, or they’re gonna fight us!”

“I really hoped you wouldn’t say that. Alright, give me your knife!” 

After handing Nat the knife, both of them let out a battle cry before attacking. Jake managed to hit two of them with his torch and make them scuttle away from the scene, skin scorched. Nataniel swiped at one, slicing its antennae off and cutting it along its neck. 

But it wasn’t long before they were overpowered. Each one had a viperwolf on top of them pinning them to the ground and barking at them. Nat felt that his strength was giving out. He feared this would be the last time he would step foot inside his avatar. That because of his foolish mistakes, he was going to lose the best opportunity he had ever had in his life. But out of nowhere, two deadly accurate arrows struck both of their opponents. 

Nat and Jake immediately got up, looking around for who - or what - had fired. A Na’vi woman materialized from the darkness, fighting with her bow in a way Nat had never seen before; gracious yet deadly. A third shot was fired, instantly killing another wolf. The warrior swung her bow and hit three other beasts, making them scurry away in fright, whimpering. She charged right at the pack, hissing with her sharp teeth bared, and made them back off entirely. For a moment, only the fading cackles of the viperwolves could be heard.

The two men - who had stayed completely put during her performance - stared in shock, then looked at one another. What had just happened? 

The woman didn’t even cast them a glance before moving on to the still flaming forgotten torch on the ground. She made a disgruntled face, picking it up by the very end of the stick and throwing it in a nearby deep puddle.

“W-wait!” shouted Jake, trying to reach for it before it fell in the water, but it was too late, “Great…” he sighed, looking at id disappointingly.

As he went back for the spear, Nat followed the woman with his gaze. _A true Omaticaya_! he thought. _She moves so effortlessly, like she knows every inch of the ground by heart_. He continued observing her, careful not to move too much and spook her away. The Na’vi had heard a pained cry coming from one of the wounded viperwolves who had not immediately died from her arrow. She approached it, looking at it somberly, seemingly sad to see the creature suffer even though it had just tried to kill and eat all of them. 

She gently laid her knee on its neck, whispering a final prayer before striking its heart with her knife and silencing it. 

By then, what Nat had predicted earlier finally started to show. Every single plant around them, and even the ground, glowed in a mix of greens, blues and purples. It made the forest an even more magical feast to the eyes. Nat was struck by its magnificent beauty and his eyes shone with reverence. He felt as if he were in the presence of a God.

Jake too seemed to be affected by the change in environment, but regained his composure more quickly than Nataniel. 

“Look, I know you probably don’t understand this, but uh…” as Jake spoke, the Na’vi continued to deliver prayers over the fallen bodies, “Thank you.”

She did not respond. So Nat joined in. 

“ **Thank you** ,” he said. This made her look up for a moment, but she went back to what she was doing, dislodging the arrow from where it had penetrated its victim. Nat counted that as a small victory.

“That was pretty impressive,” complimented Jake. She seemed offended by that, “We would have been screwed if you hadn’t come along,” Jake chuckled, looking at Nat, who was gazing down at him disapprovingly, “What?” whispered Jake.

The women turned away from them, leaving them behind.

“Hey, wait!” Jake called out.

“Calm down, Jake!” warned Nat, touching his arm, “She’ll speak when she wants to.”

“No, I just want to thank her for killing those -” she smacked him _hard_ in the face with the end of her bow. Jake fell on his behind and Nat stopped and moved back, slightly shocked.

“Don’t thank. You don’t thank for this,” she seethed. Nodding back to where they had just come from, she continued, “This is sad. Very sad. Only.”

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry,” he smiled, “Whatever I did, I’m sorry.”

Nat rolled his eyes a bit. He knew what she meant. He had read that the Na’vi gave great importance to all life, even predatory, and they only took it when necessary , and with immense grief. Jake, however, seemed completely out of the loop. He still had the mindset of a human. The woman looked exasperated at Jake’s response and started pacing back and forward in front of him.

“This is all your fault. They did not need to die,” she pointed at the two men who she probably saw more as boys.

“Well if they attacked us, how are we the bad g-” she did not let him finish, shoving her bow in both their faces.

“Your fault! _Your_ fault,” she insisted, “You’re like babies. Making noise,” she looked at Jake, “Don’t know what to do,” she looked at Nat. She brought her bow back to her side, allowing Jake to get off the floor and move closer to Nat. 

Jake wiped off his pants - or what was left of them after their hectic day, “Then, if you love your little forest friends so much,” Nat cursed him for his choice of words, “How come you didn’t just let them kill our asses?”

This gave her pause. She reflected and truly looked at them for the first time since they had met, analyzing them, “Why save you?”, she said, in her foreign yet somehow inviting accent.

“Yeah, why save us?” Jake repeated. 

She studied their eyes, glancing from Nat to Jake, “You have a strong heart. No fear,” she said, gently, shaking her head slightly. Nat was honored to be complemented by a Na’vi, especially since he was the reason she had had to do something she hadn't enjoyed. He was about to thank her when, “But stupid! Ignorant like children.”

That was enough talk, she figured, as she went back on her way, leaving them behind once more.

Nat saw this as his chance. He trailed behind her right away, “W-well, um, if we’re like children, then why don’t you teach us?” He threw a glance at Jake, silently asking Is this a good idea. Jake threw him back a look: _Best one we’ve got_. 

She continued strutting on, smoothly and without hesitation, “Sky People do not learn for they do not see.” 

“Then teach us to, uh, see!” Jake said, trying his hardest to be heard.

“No one can teach you to see,” She was effortlessly jumping from branch to branch on a fallen tree connecting two high standing ravines. Her footsteps illuminated the moss she touched with her feet, paving a way for the two avatars. But even still, Nat and Jake were starting to struggle to keep up with her.

“C-come on! Can’t we talk?” Jake panted as he spoke, trying not to look down too much.

“U-um, if you just give us a chance, we might be worth your time!” added Nat. 

Jake stumbled on the trunk, reaching out his hand to try to regain his balance. But he instead gripped Nat's arm and brought him down with him. Luckily, the woman had fast reflexes and was able to catch them, letting them regain their balance. 

She looked at them like before, like they were simply useless and unworthy of her time, “You're like a baby,” she reiterated, sighing and cursing under her breath in Na'vi. 

“Please, we need your help,” pleaded Nat. And he meant it. They had clearly proven they were not ready to be alone in the woods, and only the protection of this Na'vi and her clan could prevent something horrible from happening to their avatars. 

She looked at them but Nat's words did not seem to have swayed her convictions, “You should not be here.” 

That went right over Jake's head, “Ok, take us with you-” 

“ _No_! Go back!” her tail was swaying in agitation and she turned right back around. She did not want them here. 

Not accepting this decision, Jake went after her, “No-” he touched her arm - a bad move - she flicked his hand away and held him at bay with her bow. 

“Go. Back.” 

Suddenly, her eyes rose up, surprise settling on her face. Nat and Jake followed her gaze. 

Descending upon them were a multitude of glowing little beings. They looked like jellyfish and moved as if they were in water, their tendrils oscillating.

Nat knew of them. He couldn't remember their exact name, but they were some kind of seed. Grace had written that they seemed to be sentient creatures. They had with a will to move about as they wanted and were not hindered by the wind, rain or gravity. Grace hypothesized that this could mean that the trees from where the seeds came from were a lot more complex than on Earth.

They continued gently floating down, one of them trying to land on Jake's arm but failing when he slapped it away. 

“Stop!” both the woman and Nat said at the same time. She shooed his arm away, urging him to be more careful. She looked completely in awe, as did Nat. He also remembered Grace telling him how precious these little beings were, and how much the Omaticaya worshiped them. 

"Atokirina!” she exclaimed, “Atokirina…” 

The second seed poised itself on Nat's head. He crossed his eyes trying to get a good look at it.

In seconds, the two men had their upper halves covered in them. They looked like blue Christmas trees. Nat almost stopped breathing trying to keep completely still so that he wouldn't startle the woodsprites. 

“What are they?” Jake questioned. Nat could only imagine how strange this must be for him.

“Seeds of the Sacred Trees. Very pure spirits.” She whispered in return. Her eyes were shining white with the reflections of the Atokirinas, making her yellow pupils stand out that much more in the night. She exhaled a breath of wonder, bending down to have a closer look as a small smile graced her lips.

Nat was of the same mind. If someone had told him that on his first day of exploration on Pandora he would have been swarmed by the warm presence of the Omaticaya’s revered spirits, he would not have believed them for a second.

However, as soon as they had come, they went. A shiver passed through Nat as he felt them detach from his skin. _What more could this day hold_? he thought.

“What was all that about?” Jake said, not knowing what to think.

The Na'vi warrior was now looking at them in a completely different way. She took barely a second to make up her mind.

“Come. _Come_!” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update T^T I actually have a bunch of chapters already written but I just recently got back to uni and always forget to post them.  
> Also, I'm sorry that yall have to read these boring chapters, I promise the juicy stuff is coming !! Also ummmmm thank yall so much for the kudos?! I originally only posted this for fun with my friend because the fandom is so dry and I never expected it to get any kudos at all so thanks!! next chapter coming soon (hopefully xD)  
> BTW bold dialogue is spoken in Na'vi!  
> *tomorrow i'll update this chapter with a little bit of art ^^*


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg yall i forgot to post chapter 3???!! I noticed this just now and added it T^T I'm so sorry it must have been super weird to read the story with that big chunk missing!! It's there now tho so enjoy; I'm really sorry T^T

They ran after the Na’vi, three pairs of fading glowing footprints behind them. Jake and Nat were touching all the plants in their path, having fun watching them light up while the woman simply kept running ahead, looking determined.

Nat couldn’t believe that she was actually taking them to her tribe. At least, he thought she was. She hadn’t exactly said anything yet. But still, the simple fact that she was letting them be in her presence was amazing when Nat considered this must have been the most progress the researchers had made with the Na’vi since that fateful school incident.

They came by another fallen tree and started making their way across it. 

“So, what’s your na-” Jake had no time to finish his question. Both his and Nat’s feet were caught in a weighted rope. They fell down at the same time, but lucky for them, the ground was not far below and they managed to hit the floor without hurting themselves too much. They got up, Jake immediately unsheathing his knife that Nat had returned to him, while the latter simply stayed put, looking around frantically. 

Three massive direhorses came out of the bushes, one rider atop each one. The riders had bows drawn and were pointing them directly at Nat and Jake. They both stepped back, Jake still in a defensive position. More noises were heard from behind them and soon, they were surrounded by armed Na’vi, their war cries echoing through the trees. 

Jake dropped his knife, realising how futile fighting back was now. Nat raised his hands in submission. He did  _ not _ want to have a violent confrontation with the natives. 

Their new friend, if they could call her that, jumped down from above, putting herself in front of them defensively. 

“ **Calm, people! Calm!** ” she said, looking at the attackers.

One of the warriors descended from his steed and came striding towards them. Nat noted that he walked with authority and confidence; perhaps he was the hunters’ leader.

“ **What are you doing Tsu’tey?** ” she asked, pacing in front of him and turning her head to the side. She did so with a bitter sounding tone, as if she and this Tsu’tey had some previous unresolved history.

“ **These demons are forbidden here,** ” he explained more calmly. He was trying to appease her, Nat noticed.

“ **There has been a sign** !” she exclaimed, frowning at him and not at all appeased, “ **This is a matter for the Tsahik.** ”

Tsu’tey’s eyes shone with mistrust and discontent. He was clearly not happy with the situation.  After glancing at the two men, he turned away, ordering his warriors to take them. His tail swung in all directions as he mounted his beast and made _tsaheylu_ , showing his frustration.

The other Na’vi followed the order. They held Nat and Jake by their sensitive braids, promising a fair bit of pain if either of them misbehaved, and pushed forward at a light trot.

“H-hey, what’s happening?!” Jake shouted out. He had absolutely no idea what anyone had said unlike to Nat. So he tried to reassure his friend.

“Don’t worry, Jake. They’re just taking us to their leader,” he explained.

Jake looked at him with wide eyes, “Oh, that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“At least they haven’t killed us,” Nat paused to look ahead. He noticed Tsu’tey’s eyes were on him, an expression of pure hatred on his face, “Yet.”

-

They had run all the way to their destination, so Nat was fairly out of breath. He still hadn’t been in his avatar body long enough to properly work out and build up physical resistance. But his fatigue was all but forgotten when he looked up. 

There stood the Mother-Tree in all its glory. It was absolutely massive. Of a scale Nat had never witnessed before. He gazed at it open mouthed, trying to take it in. It towered over any other tree or structure for miles and miles around them. The entry archway alone was at least four or five times his height, and he had an above average avatar. The glowing foliage at the base of the trunk illuminated it in an eerie sort of way, only adding to its grandeur. 

Clan members lined the way, scooting back when they saw them coming. They seemed curious, but distrustful. Nat guessed that seeing avatars was not common around here.

The more they advanced into the cavernous interior of the Mothertree, the more people there were. It looked like the whole clan had been assembled to take a look at them. Nat felt watched and uncomfortable, but at the same time quite lucky. Here he was, finally fulfilling his dream of being fully immersed in Pandora, walking amongst its people. Yet he could not forget that he was still an outsider. 

The people parted, creating a path for them.

At the center of the main chamber stood two thick spiral branches that lead upwards. Right next to them was an older man clad in much more detailed attire than any other Na’vi around. He sported a feathered shoulder piece that broadened his shoulders immensely and a necklace lined with sharp _thanator_ fangs. Behind him stood a massive great _leonopteryx_ skull which made him all the more intimidating.  _ He looks… important,  _ Nat thought.

He was speaking to Tsu’tey as they approached. They both looked quite unhappy. He turned to them when they entered his field of view, scrutinizing them. 

“ **I see you** ,” greeted the woman that had accompanied them this far, bowing to show respect to the man. 

He walked lightly on his feet, passing them by, but not before throwing a strange look their way, “ **Why do you bring these creatures here** ?” he asked.

She bowed down once more, explaining herself and gesturing to them “ **I was going to kill them, but there was a sign from Eywa,** ” she kept making herself smaller and smaller before him.  _ He  _ is  _ important. Probably the Oloteykan _ , Nat concluded.

“ **I have said no dreamwalker will come here! Their alien smell fills my nose** ,” he rebutted, his nose scrunched up in disgust. Some clan members, including Tsu’tey, chuckled or quipped a smile at that.

Nat almost did the same before remembering the serious situation he was in. 

“What’s he saying?” asked Jake. 

Looking back, she answered, “My father is deciding whether to kill you.”

Her father. So she was a sort of princess. Nat told himself to be more careful around her from now on.

“And it’s not looking good for us,” whispered Nat. Sure, they had had a bunch of sacred little seeds drop onto them like bees on a flower, but that didn’t mean much in the  _ Oloteykan’s  _ eyes it seemed. 

By now, their braids had been released, allowing Nat to breathe with relative ease again. But that small relief was quickly squandered.

Eyes darting between the daughter and father, Jake said, “Your father?... Good to meet you sir,” he stepped forward, offering his hand in greeting. Immediately all the warriors jumped to him, restraining him and screaming at him to step away.

"What the hell's your problem, Jake?!" scolded Nat.

They all stilled, however, when a thundering voice echoed through the tree.

“ **Step back!** ”

An elder woman descended the spiral ramp. She had a voluminous head of braided hair and her  _ tswin _ was on her shoulder, easy to reach. A red shawl with yellow trimming draped her shoulders and flowed behind her as she waved her arms, encouraging everyone to stop.

“ **I will look at these aliens,** ” in seconds she was in front of them, circling them not unlike a hungry viperwolf. 

“This is Mother. She is Tsahik - the one who interprets the will of Eywa,” the daughter said, turning slightly to Jake. 

The Tsahik approached Nat first, taking a firm hold of his braid. It still felt slightly tender from the harsh grip the hunters had had on it earlier and Nat flinched back a bit. She examined the tip for a moment, then replaced it in her hand with his tail. Nat hadn’t really thought about this before, but perhaps for the Na’vi these features were particularly interesting. Like eyes or body types to humans.

She did the same to Jake before asking for their names.

Nat realized that perhaps saying his full name would probably not be a good idea seeing as it was foreign, “I’m Nataniel,” his voice was a bit raspy, raked with nerves from being right in front of the Tsahik.

Jake followed, “And I’m Jake Sully.”

Her searching eyes darted from one outsider to the other. She reached for the small dagger dangling from her neck and unsheathed it, poking a small hole in both of their chests with it. Nat and Jake quietly exclaimed in pain and surprise but did nothing besides that, only looking on in confusion.

The tip of the knife, now soaked with blood, met her lips. Not much showed on her face as she did this, but Nat swore he saw a most peculiar look pass through her eyes as she tasted the liquid. 

"Why did you come to us?" she quite literally demanded. 

Jake responded first, "To learn." 

She put her small dagger away, looking up at them, "We have tried to teach other Sky People. It is hard to fill a cup which is already full." 

Nat supposed he understood what she meant. Most humans thought they had the answers to it all, but Nat knew that there was still so much to learn and see, so much that observation alone could not unveil. He wanted a real teacher and The Na'vi had centuries of experience with this world. They were clearly the ones meant to be teaching them, not the other way around.

"My cup is empty. Trust me," Jake joked, "Just ask Doctor Augustine. I'm no scientist." 

"What are you?" asked the Tsahik. 

Jake looked at Nat for reassurance, not sure how to answer. Nat gave him a little nod, urging him on. 

"I-um… I was a marine. Uh, a warrior of the… J-Jarhead clan," Nat internally rolled his eyes.  _ Jarhead clan? Really?  _

" **A warrior?** " interrupted Tsu'tey, stepping forward and looking at his mates for support, " **I could kill him easily!** " Nat swallowed. Would he really try to take their lives so thoughtlessly?

Some members of the crowd cheered him on, but the Oloteykan put his arm up, stopping Tsu'tey from going any further. 

" **No! This is the first warrior** **dreamwalker we have seen. We need to learn more about him** ," he said, a lot calmer than before and sporting a thoughtful expression. 

More people shouted out their agreement, but Tsu'tey only side eyed his leader, bringing his upper lip up in discontent. As for Nat, he was ecstatic. The Oloteykan was showing interest in them! He had to admit that as they were being brought inside, he was afraid Jake would screw up any chance they had of making a good impression with the clan, but now he was very thankful that Jake had ended up with him. After all, he had saved his life (although he wouldn't admit that to Jake) and he was now the reason for the Na'vi's curiosity in them. 

" **Daughter. You will teach him our way, to speak and walk as we do** ," said Tsahik with a firm tone. A hopeful look crossed Nat's eyes.

" **What?!** " she exclaimed, surprised, " **That is** **_not_ ** **fair! I only-** " 

"It is decided!" the spiritual leader affirmed, ending the discussion then and there. 

"And what of you?" the Tsahik turned her attention to Nat, who was not expecting it. 

His head snapped back up at her and he looked her in the eyes. He couldn't lie. He had to say that he was a "scientist", or more specifically, a botanist and biologist. But the Na'vi didn't seem to be interested in that kind of Dream Walker anymore. Still, Nat was going to try to convince them to keep him around. 

"I am a scientist. But everything I know doesn't apply here. My knowledge is from another world. Here, I'm nothing more than a child whose cup is ready to be filled.  **I want to learn** ." 

After giving him a long look, the Tsahik responded, "Neytiri cannot take two students at once. Tsu'tey, you will instruct him alongside your warriors to become one of the People." 

"Ah ?!" shouted Tsu'tey aggressively. He inched closer to the Tsahik, fuming, " **I am to be settled with this demon?!** " 

" **Enough** !" she turned to him, daring him to speak against her again, " **This is an order.** " 

Tsu'tey held her gaze defiantly for a long moment before looking away in defeat and letting out a growl under his breath. 

Nat wasn't sure this was the best idea now that he saw who was going to be caring for him from now on. He could bet that by the end of the night, Tsu'tey would have him befall a mysterious accident that would kill his avatar body. 

The Tsahik addressed the outsiders once more, "My daughter and Tsu'tey will teach you our ways. Learn well,  _ Nat'aniel _ and  _ Jakesully _ . Then we will see if your insanity can be cured." 


End file.
